1969 Univox U-250 Uni-Fuzz

The 21st century guitarist wants endless
amp/effect/cabinet options in a
sardine-tin-sized package at the cost of a
dinner for two at Applebee’s. (Yes, we know
some purists still plug their ’57 Strat into
an original tweed Fender Twin with a coil
cable.) That said, it’s always fun to take a
look at vintage effects that paved the way.
In 1967, long before the current multi-effect-Maxwell-Smart craze, the Japanese
company Honey launched the dual-purpose
Psychedelic Machine. The briefcase-sized
unit combined two of the world’s most
unmistakable sounds for the first time—
the fuzz and chorus/vibrato. A year later,
Shin-ei took over manufacturing for Honey
and decided that these effects would fare
better as stand-alone offerings (Univox was
Shin-ei’s U.S. distributor). In 1968, they
unveiled two separate stompboxes—the
Super-Fuzz and the Uni-Vibe.

These pedals were taken to Mt.
Olympus-heights by two heavy hitters—
Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix. The
Super-Fuzz was deified after Townshend
used it throughout the Who’s 1970 Live at
Leeds performance, but most notably during
the rambunctious opening in “Sparks”
and the grisly, snarling solo in “Young Man
Blues.” The Uni-Vibe helped Hendrix mystify
guitarists and listeners with its swirling
chaos in the Band of Gypsys’ “Machine
Gun” and the more silky, waving textures in
“Izabella” off of First Rays of the New Rising
Sun. Today, the Super-Fuzz still breathes
fire in Dan Auerbach’s speaker-eating tone,
playing a central role in Black Keys cuts like
“Thickfreakness” and “’Till I Get My Way.”

The following year, Shin-ei developed
the U-250 Uni-Fuzz, which was an
AC-powered brother to their Super-Fuzz.
As seen here, the Uni-Fuzz is housed within
a brick-sized enclosure resembling a military-
ammo canister. Its minimal controls
are balance (volume) and expander (fuzz),
a 2-way tone switch, and an on/off switch.
The tone switch engages a 1 kHz filter that
scoops the mids creating a robust, bass-y
tone. The on/off switch kicks on the circuit
that produces both an upper octave and a
slight, lower octave—giving the Uni-Fuzz
some compression and a mild ring-modulator
effect.

Photo courtesy Univox Corp

“Like many purveyors of fuzz, my interest
had primarily been focused on Fuzz
Faces and Tone Benders, but after sampling
a late-’60s Super-Fuzz at Rivington
Music in NYC, I realized designer Fumio
Mieda caught magic in a bottle,” says Mark
Hunter, owner of this ’69 Uni-Fuzz. “I have
a few other fuzzes and have spent some
time with a Super-Fuzz, but there’s nothing
quite like the Uni-Fuzz I found on eBay.
Its sound is very intense and fat, but still
is responsive to how your guitar volume is
set—lots of shades of fuzz and destruction
to be had.”

Unabashedly so, Hunter admits to dropping
a small chunk of coin on his vintage
dirtbox, but says the Uni-Fuzz has repaid
him by way of woolly inspiration and musical
journeys.

“Whenever I get in a rut or just need
something to perk a few new ideas out
of my fingers, I can always count on the
Uni-Fuzz to break things up [laughs],” says
Hunter. “The ring-modulator aspect of it
inspired me to write some music based specifically
on that sound. To me, that’s worth
the investment in itself.”

A special thanks to Mark Hunter for the
opportunity to feature this fine piece of gear
and its story.

Got some gear that would make a great
Gear of the Month? Then email pics and its
story to us at gotm@premierguitar.com.

Chris has degrees in Journalism and History from the University of Iowa and has been with PG dating back to his days as an intern in 2007. Since then, he's become Associate Editor and done almost everything—including overseeing web content/article creation, video shooting/editing, and writing artist features and music reviews. He spends his free time with his pitbull Doozy, collecting tattoos, trying his hand at being a hipster by gathering vinyl. He's one of the lone sports nuts on staff and cheers on the Cubs, Cowboys, and Michigan Wolverines. Oh yeah, he of course enjoys making noise on the guitar. Follow Chris on Twitter.